Pump for ponds, aquariums, and similar facilities

ABSTRACT

A pump for ponds, aquariums or similar facilities has a synchronous motor arranged within a motor housing. The motor has a permanent-magnet rotor and a stator, wherein the rotor is separated from the stator by an inner wall of the motor housing. A housing part is provided that forms a flow channel. The pump has a removable mounting flange for rotatably securing the rotor. The housing part is detachably mounted on the flange by a fastening device. The mounting flange seals a can forming the inner wall relative to the remaining motor housing and secures a bearing bracket serving for supporting the rotor.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a pump for ponds, aquariums or similar facilities comprising a synchronous motor arranged in a motor housing which synchronous motor comprises a permanent magnet rotor as well as a stator. The rotor is separated from the stator by means of an inner wall of the motor housing. Moreover, the motor housing has a housing part forming at least one flow channel.

A pump of the aforementioned kind is disclosed, for example, in DE 195 09 454. It is a disadvantage of such a pump that for maintenance of the pump the housing must be opened across a large surface area so that areas that possibly do not require any cleaning are also exposed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to configure a pump of the aforementioned kind such that it is easier to service and is generally improved in regard to other respects.

This object is solved by a pump that has a mounting flange that is removable and that rotatably secures the rotor, wherein the housing part that forms the flow channel is detachably mounted on the mounting flange. By means of the mounting flange embodied according to the invention a housing part can be removed so that the pump wheel seated on the rotor is accessible for cleaning without additional parts of the motor housing having to be opened. Moreover, by means of the fastening device it is possible to secure on the pump housing parts that are different but mountable in the same way. In this way, the pump can be used for different purposes.

Advantageously, a printed circuit board serving as a drive control extends in the motor housing behind the windings of the stator. In contrast to the prior art in which the printed circuit board is in a position so as to face away from the stator, the motor housing can be used for a plurality of housing shapes because of the inherently reduced space requirement of the functional parts. This increases moreover the field of application of the pump according to the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further advantages and details of the invention can be taken from the dependent claims described in the following as well as the schematic drawings of the subject matter according to the present invention. The figures show in:

FIG. 1 an exploded illustration of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 a side view of the parts illustrated in FIG. 1 in an exploded view;

FIG. 3 a cross-section of a portion of the embodiment according to the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a pump according to the invention for ponds, aquariums or similar facilities. Within a portion of the motor housing 1 a synchronous motor is arranged that has a permanent magnet rotor 2 that, in turn, runs within a stator 3, not illustrated in FIG. 1. The rotor 2 has at its end a pump wheel 4 as well as a bearing bracket 5 that serves as a cover for a housing opening 6. Through this housing opening 6, the rotor 2 can be inserted between the pole shoes of the synchronous motor that are arranged in the interior of the motor housing 1.

According to the present invention, a mounting flange 7 is provided that forces the bearing bracket 5 serving as a support for the rotor 2 tightly against a contact area 8 so that the rotor 2 is supported at the side of the pump wheel. When removing the mounting flange 7, the rotor 2 can be removed from its support position.

The side of the mounting flange 7 facing away from the bearing bracket 5 has a fastening device 9 in the form of a bayonet closure. This bayonet closure enables a safe securing action of the housing part 11. This type of attachment is suitable in particular for high conveying volumes that can be achieved with the synchronous motor of the pump according to the invention. However, the housing part 11 can still be removed in a simple way.

It has been found to be advantageous for a safe securing action of the housing part 11 to provide the mounting flange 7 with at least two, even better four, locking areas 12 by means of which the housing part 11 can be secured especially well. The locking areas 12 and the locking stays 14 of the housing part 11 together constitute the fastening device 9.

The attachment of the housing part is realized in a guided fashion and is therefore also simple. At the same time, screws 13 serve for a safe attachment of the mounting flange 7 on the part of the motor housing 1 that encloses the motor.

The housing part 11 has moreover two areas that represent the flow channels 15 and 16 for conveying or taking in the water. For an excellent conveying action of the water to be pumped, the exit channel or pressure-side channel 16 is arranged so as to extend away from the axis of rotation of the rotor. At the same time, the water supply channel 15 extends concentrically to the axis of rotation of the rotor. The supply as well as the exit channel 16 and 15 have connecting areas 18 in the form of threads by means of which further conduits can be connected. The pump according to the invention can thus be integrated into a complex system. For example, it can be used as a conveying pump for a water filter or a fountain and can be used above or under water.

When pressing the mounting flange 7 against the bearing bracket 5, the rotor 2 is supported safely within the motor housing 1 by means of a bearing 19 that is loaded by the bearing bracket 5. Also, in the operating position of the pump the bearing bracket 5 presses against a can 21 fixedly connected to the motor housing 1; the can protects the inner area of the motor housing 1, where the electrical functional parts are located, against penetration of water. The can 21 thus provides an inner wall of the motor housing that separates the rotor 2 from the stator 3. Advantageously, the end of the can 21 facing away from the pump wheel 4 is also provided with a bearing 24 for the rotor.

For an additional sealing action of the interior with regard to penetration of water the current-supplied functional parts inclusive of the printed circuit board provided for the drive control are enclosed by a potting compound that also connects the can 21 with the motor housing 1. Moreover, a seal 22 of the can 21 seals relative to the potted motor area so that the potting compound during assembly cannot penetrate into the areas that are not to be potted.

For mounting the motor housing 1 in different positions, a connector 23 is provided that can be used in particular for an adjustable support, not illustrated. Also, instead of the connector 23 provided for attaching the adjustable support, it is also possible to provide other kinds of attachment elements on the motor housing 1 with which the pump can be used in the desired way.

Furthermore, it is within the concept of the present invention to separate by means of a partition 24 unneeded housing areas, present as a result of the exterior design of the housing but not used for any functional parts, from the other housing areas that are occupied by functional parts. In this way, a reduced consumption of required potting compound is provided in addition to an improvement of the visual impression.

Moreover, it is an advantage of the pump according to the invention to provide in the area of the flowing water a freeze protection device. The latter protects the pump against damage caused by water that freezes within the motor housing. The housing part 11 has for this purpose at least one lateral chamber 25 that is filled with a closed-pore foam or an elastic foam and opens directly into the water-containing area. Freezing water can expand into this lateral chamber 25 without causing any damage within the motor housing 1.

The specification incorporates by reference the entire disclosure of German priority application 20 2005 014 071.4 having a filing date of Sep. 6, 2005.

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail to illustrate the inventive principles, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles. 

1. A pump for ponds, aquariums or similar facilities, comprising: a motor housing; a synchronous motor arranged in the motor housing; the synchronous motor having a permanent-magnet rotor and a stator; the motor housing having an inner wall separating the rotor from the stator; a mounting flange that is detachably mounted on the motor housing and rotatably secures the rotor; a housing part forming at least one flow channel, wherein the housing part is detachably mounted on the mounting flange by a fastening device.
 2. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the inner wall of the motor housing is a can and wherein the mounting flange seals the can relative to a remaining portion of the motor housing.
 3. The pump according to claim 1, further comprising a bearing bracket that supports the rotor, wherein the mounting flange secures the bearing bracket on the motor housing.
 4. The pump according to claim 1, further comprising a pump wheel drivingly connected to the rotor, wherein the mounting flange is arranged between the pump wheel and the rotor.
 5. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the fastening device is a bayonet closure.
 6. The pump according to claim 5, wherein the bayonet closure has at least two locking areas.
 7. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the housing part has two of said at least one flow channel.
 8. The pump according to claim 7, wherein a first one of said two of said at least one flow channel extends radially away from an axis of rotation of the rotor.
 9. The pump according to claim 8, wherein a second one of said two of said at least one flow channel extends concentrically to the axis of rotation of the rotor.
 10. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the housing part has at least one connecting area for attaching a conduit.
 11. The pump according to claim 1, wherein the motor housing has a connector for attaching an adjustable support.
 12. The pump according to claim 1, further comprising a drive control that is located at least partially on a printed circuit board extending adjacent to a winding of the stator.
 13. The pump according to claim 1, further comprising a partition that separates an unneeded housing area of the motor housing from a remaining interior of the motor housing.
 14. The pump according to claim 1, comprising a freeze protection device.
 15. The pump according to claim 14, wherein the freeze protection device has a lateral chamber filled with a closed-pore foam. 